Harley's POV (5 days since Xander left)

"It feels good to be back in the dorm." I sigh, falling back onto my bunk bed. Brooke, Rachel, and Tessa were spread out on their beds, either reading or dozing off.

"It's nice having you back." Rachel hummed.

"Not really." Tessa stood up from her bed. "And since you refuse to shut the fuck up, I'm leaving." She hissed. "It's no wonder the boss hadn't come back. "Your annoying voice chased him away." She muttered. She trailed on, mumbling as she walked out of the room.

"Gosh, she's gotten unbearable these last couple of days." Rachel scoffed.

"Maybe we should invite her upstairs to watch a movie with us," I suggested. Perhaps Tessa just needs girl time and some cuddles. Maybe she needs a heart-to-heart. I haven't been trying my best to get along with her, and maybe it was time.

"It's not a terrible idea." Rachel shrugged. "I doubt she'd come if you ask her."

"Then I pass on the responsibility of inviting her to you," I said to Rachel.

"I'm glad we've brought this up. Enough with the romcoms. Let's watch something else tonight." Brooke said. "Let's watch 365 days or all the fifty shades of grey movies. I want to see some rough stuff." She groaned out dramatically.

"We can't mare, Harley's innocent mind." Rachel said. "If you want to watch that weird stuff, watch it alone."

"Hey," I said. "I'm not a kid. I can watch-that-it-I can watch!" I struggled to word my sentence correctly. Brooke smirked, and Rachel cocked her head to the side like she was saying, "yeah, right." I didn't think I was innocent. Sure, I'd never done anything before, and I had only just kissed someone for the first time a couple of days ago, but I wasn't unaware of how sex happened. I was a late bloomer but becoming friends with Avery had its benefits. She taught me stuff I didn't know before. Plus, she told me all about her personal sexual adventures in great detail so "I could be prepared." I just laughed at her stories most of the time because they always ended with her walking out mid hookup. She wasn't easily impressed.

"Then it's settled. Harley isn't too innocent to watch women be tied up and spanked by dangerously attractive guys, so we can watch both movies tonight. Back to back." Brooke clapped her hands together and stood up to celebrate.

"I'll be joining as well," Pedro says, leaning against our bedroom door. I didn't even know he was standing there.

"With drinks, I hope." After getting off the phone with Xander last time, I puked my guts out all over the bathroom. Julian laughed at me naturally then I went to bed with a major headache and major heartache. I'd be lying if I said I didn't cry after that phone call. He sounded so cold. Colder than he's ever spoken to me. I don't know what I expected from him, but it wasn't that. I wasn't sure why I assumed after a kiss he'd magically treat me differently. I can't even imagine how many women Xander has kissed and slept with, so for him, our kiss was just a kiss. It wasn't special; it wasn't magical; it was just a kiss. I overanalyzed and set my expectations so high, which only ended up hurting me. I wanted him to want me. How pathetic, I chuckled to myself. I wanted him to want me as bad as I wanted him. Xander had an interest in me but clearly not as much as I have for him. My feelings for Xander are unexplainable and irrational, but they are so strong. They become stronger and stronger as the days go on, and it's scary. It's scary because despite everything, despite him leaving and not speaking to me for this long, my feelings haven't changed for him.

A heavy pain settled in my chest. I haven't been doing anything these last couple of days besides sleeping. However, I think the sleeping was only making me feel more depressed.

"No can do, little bit. The boss might actually put a bullet in my head this time." He replied.

"He wouldn't." I shook my head, but we all knew he would.

"Anyways, What are you guys doing this evening?" I sat up and looked at Brooke and Rachel.

"I have to go pick up laundry detergent and some cleaning products from the estate storage house. It's only a 6-minute walk." Rachel said, "You want to come? It'll be good for you to get some free air." She suggested.

"Sure, that sounds nice." I nodded.

"Great, come on then." She got up from her bed and grabbed her apron from the hook next to the room door. I grabbed my hoodie and shoes, slipping them on quickly before catching up to her.

"Slow down," I said, jogging after her right before slide the screen door and walked through to the garden. "Where's this place anyways?"

"It's past the gym and the pool." She said. "I don't think you've ever been past here." She said. In sync, our legs moved against the pale concrete path. The grass beside it was bright and artificial-looking. It was partly cloudy like the sun was fighting with the clouds to see who would win dominance. However, I could smell the rain in the air. It was coming. A storm was brewing.

"I haven't" I shook my head. The estate was truly something beautiful. It was like everything was carefully picked out. Even the flowers were placed in a certain order. The shrubs were perfectly square, and the lines in the lawn were accurately perpendicular.

"Well, this is where all the maids come to pick up supplies we are low on. Aprons, gloves, soaps, detergents, scrubs, sponges, you name it; it has it." Rachel explains.

"So you won't have to leave the estate for it." I nodded.

"Yup, it is convenient for everyone." She shrugged. I guess she was right.

A flat concrete square building came into view shortly after. It was small but big enough for a family to live in.

"Here we are." She said as we walked up to the padlocked door. With ease, she punched in the code in the keypad next to the door. Wow, even the cleaning supplies were locked up. She opened the door, and I was immediately slapped by the intense smell of soaps, cleaning sprays, and bleach. I loved it.

"So what are you getting, anyways." I followed her further into the building. It looked like a grocery store inside. There were isles of products, and there were high beam lights on the ceiling.

"Laundry detergent, A specific type, dryer sheets, and rubber gloves." She said while focusing on the isles of laundry detergent. There were like a million kinds. "Here we are." She said, picking a white jug with words Organic on it. Of course.

"It's for the boss, right?" I asked. She didn't answer for a moment but then chuckled and nodded. "He's so unnecessarily extra." I chuckled to myself. I missed his smell. I pushed the thoughts out of my head. I was just starting to feel less depressed with him being gone. He wasn't back, and who knew when he would be.

"When you pay off all your debts, who are you going home to?" I asked, suddenly thinking about Rachel's past life. I now realized Rachel never mentioned her family. I was always so engrossed with talking about mine, she probably never had time to talk about hers.

"My husband." Rachel said. "We had just got married when I was sent to work here."

"Y-you never talk about him," I frowned. She doesn't wear a ring either.

"Maybe this is me being selfish." She sighed, "but sometimes it hurts too much to talk about him or to him." She smiled even though everything she was saying was anything but happy.

"So you never call him?" I asked softly, not wanting to upset her.

"When you love someone so much, you'll do anything for them." she breathed and tussled with the rubber gloves in her hands. "I knew that if I spoke to him, I'd run out of this place—guns blazing—to get back to him." She chuckled through the last part. Maybe that's why I never asked to speak to my father or Avery because I knew once I heard their voices, I'd do anything to get away from the place. In a body bag if I had to. "But no matter how hard I try to push him away from my thoughts, I always think about him." I urged her to continue. "What he's doing, If he's eating well, how's work at the factory going-" She grinned happily. "The only thing that gives me peace of mind is knowing that I'm doing all this for us. So we can both live happy, normal lives without things hanging over our heads constantly." She admitted.

"That's beautiful, Rachel. I'm sure he appreciates everything you're doing." I stretched my arm over her shoulder.

"Well, that and the fact that I have two wonderfully bright ladies in my life." She smiled at me. "Although one is a pain in my ass and one I worry about all the time. I love them both too much." Unintentionally my eyes watered at her kind words about Brooke and me. I wrapped my arms around her and hugged her tightly. Little did she know, she kept me going as well.

"Let's go." Rachel pulled away and clapped her hands on my shoulders. "Before it starts raining on us."

"Definitely." I flashed her a grin. With that, we exited the building. I grabbed the heavy detergent bottle from Rachel so she could close the door properly, and we started our quest back to the house. I wanted to relish in the fresh untouched air for a while, so I walked slower than before. The whiteness above us stirred in anticipation. The swollen clouds were ready to burst on top of us. My eyes drifted all over the place to the dewy grass and the noisy yet tranquil fountain. As we walked further away, there was not a single noise to interrupt the quietness. A strange calm came over my body. I took in a long deep breath, opening my mouth to fill my lungs. Gas. I smelt gas. My head hesitantly moved to the front of the house. We had the perfect view of the front gates and the oval driveway. Like I was Light Yagami writing in my death note, two cars whipped behind the gate and into the driveway. Two black Lincoln SUVs. I immediately stopped dead in my tracks. Suddenly, the peacefulness was gone, and my throat had gone dry. My heart began beating so fast; I could hear the thumping pound against my eardrum.

"Harley, why'd you s-" Rachel stopped walking next to me and followed my eyes to where I was looking. We both watched as four tall, buff men flowed out of the truck with ease. My eyes frantically moved around till they landed on his face. His handsome, flawless, untouched face. His facial hair was scruffy now like he hadn't shaved, but he was still a godly image. His hands were tucked in his pockets as always, but unlike any other time, he was laughing. Making sure I saw correctly, I blinked my eyes and squinted them slightly, and sure enough, he had a smile sketched on his face. What was he smiling for? He was smiling? Why? What was so funny right now? I've cried in irritation at the fact that he hasn't once tried contacting me. Worried if he was hurt somewhere. Worried about what he was doing this whole time and he was nonchalantly smiling. Laughing even. Why was I getting so angry at this sight? There could be an explanation. Even I knew I didn't care. Suddenly, like the clouds sensed the fiery heat coming off my body, it finally burst. Fat sloppy drops of rain pounded down. Within seconds I was soaked. Even the cold plump raindrops couldn't stamp out my passionate displeasure. On queue with the rain and my rage, they all, in unison, strutted into the house. "Harley." Rachel broke me out of my trance.

"Y-yeah." I stuttered, pushing water out of my eyes and looking at her. I was physically paying attention to her, but my mind was completely elsewhere. I was thinking about every step he was making right now.

"If you're going to go, I'd go right now," Rachel smirked. I swallowed so hard it hurt my parched throat.

"I'm sorry for leaving like this; I'll make it up to you." I looked away, completely ashamed, but the fury burning in me was too deep to do nothing.

"Oh, shut up." She chuckled. "Just go." She said, grabbing the bottle from me.

"O-okay," I said, stretching my aching arms from holding that heavy bottle too long in the wrong position. Looking at Rachel's kind, moist face one more time, I jogged off. It started like a jog, of course, but I increased my speed once I was at the house's side door. I slide it open, leaving it cracked for Rachel to come in without having to pry it open, and sprinted towards the stairs. They weren't in the lobby and nor the foyer. I searched around till I heard footsteps coming down the steps. Henry. "Henry." I breathed out. He was looking down at his phone while he descended the steps. Abruptly his head shot up to me, and his eyes widened.

"Harley, why are you all wet?" He asked, looking at me up and down. I almost completely forgot I was soaked to the bone. "Where you outside?" He asked, finishing the rest of the steps down, so he was in front of me. His puppy-like eyes peered down at me. I missed his face and his thick beard.

"Glad you're back, Henry. I missed you." I said, reaching up and hugging him. Like a reflex, he wrapped his arms around me and hugged me back.

"Aww, I missed you too, little bit." He said softly. I missed the way he smelt like shells, cigarettes, and red hots too. After a couple of seconds, I pulled away.

"Where is he?" I asked almost immediately when I backed away.

"I can see the anger in your tiny doll eyes, so I'm not going to say anything else besides; he is in his room." Henry clenched his teeth together as he spoke. "However, he might be asleep already. He said he was going to rest his eyes."

Rest his eyes? Sleep? I must be in the twilight zone. He's here, and if I didn't see him physically arrive, he wouldn't have told me. I wouldn't have known. He still isn't talking to me. Any calmness I felt after seeing Henry disappeared. A tornado of emotions flooded through me. Wrath, sadness, exhaustion, and disappointment. All of it. Why is he acting like this, and why did I have to be so affected by him?

Saying nothing else to Henry, and I started up the steps. Taking them two by two until I reached the top. Not calming myself like I usually do before seeing him, I marched up to his bedroom door. The door for the room I'd been staying in the past couple of weeks was closed just like I left it. He didn't even attempt to see if I was in there? Tears pooled at the corner of my eye. No, there is nothing to cry about. Fluttering the tears back into my eye, I wiped the wetness from a mixture of tears and rain with the back of my hand.

"Enough is enough." Using all the strength in my compact body, I twisted the golden knob roughly, slamming it open.

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HI HI HIIII YALL!! This chapter is a bit longer since the other one was so short. This chapter is super duper important and vital for what's coming next. Pay close attention to detail👀 , and IM SO EXCITED FOR THE NEXT COUPLE CHAPTERS AHAHAHAH!!! YALL R GOING TO EAT IT UPP!!!😂🤐🤪🤪

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